New Delhi: Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot's day-long fast to demand action in cases of alleged corruption related to the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state ended on Tuesday evening. The Congress leader, who sat on 'dharna' at the Shaheed Smarak in Jaipur, said that the movement against corruption will continue.
Sachin Pilot offered floral tributes to social reformer Jyotirao Phule at his portrait and launched his fast at 11 am. A banner put up at the venue of the Pilot's agitation read -- "Vasundhara Sarkar Me Hue Bhrastachar Ke Viruddh Anshan" (Fast against corruption during Vasundhara Raje government).
"We had assured people that effective action will be taken against corruption by the former BJP government in the state. I wanted the Congress government to take action against the corruption by the former BJP government," Pilot said after ending his fast.
He launched his fast despite a warning by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Rajasthan, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who on Monday evening said any such protest against the state government would amount to anti-party activity and go against the party's interest.
— Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) April 11, 2023
Pilot had announced his decision to sit on a fast on Sunday. During a press conference, he targeted the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan for not taking action against the alleged corruption of the BJP government in the state, led by Vasundhara Raje.
"No action was taken (by the Gehlot government) on the corruption of the previous Vasundhara Raje government. While in the Opposition, we promised an inquiry into the mines scam of Rs 45,000 crore," Pilot said.
The senior Congress leader stated that he wrote to Gehlot last year on March 28 and November 2 on the issue but did not get any answer to his letters.
He also showed videos of statements of Gehlot in the Assembly and outside in which he had leveled corruption allegations against the previous BJP government.
"With six to seven months left for the elections, the opponents can spread an illusion that there is some collusion. Therefore, action will have to be taken soon so that the Congress workers feel that there is no difference between our words and actions," Pilot said.
#WATCH | Rajasthan: On April 11, I will do a one-day hunger strike to mark my words that action should be taken against corruption in the state so that the public does not feel that we are not doing any work or we have not fulfilled any of our promises: Sachin Pilot, Congress MLA pic.twitter.com/SNmwTDLdJq
— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) April 9, 2023
His agitation amid a factional feud in the Congress is now being seen as an attempt to put pressure on the party high command to resolve the leadership issue in the state ahead of the Assembly polls due by the year-end.
Pilot and Gehlot have been at loggerheads ever since Congress formed the government in the state in 2018. The Congress high command appointed Gehlot to the top post for a third time and Pilot was made his deputy.
In July 2020, Pilot and a section of Congress MLAs rebelled openly against Gehlot, demanding a change of leadership in the state. It led to a month-long political crisis that ended after the party's high command's assurance to look into the issues raised by Pilot.
Following the revolt by Pilot and 18 other MLAs, Gehlot had used several derogatory terms for his former deputy and had accused him of being involved with BJP leaders in a conspiracy to topple the Congress government in the state.
In September last year, a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting was convened at the chief minister's residence to pass a one-line resolution authorising the party high-command to take a decision on a change in the state leadership as Gehlot was in the race for the party president's post.
However, the meeting could not take place because a parallel meeting was convened at the residence of the state parliamentary affairs minister, where many of the Congress MLAs offered their resignation letters addressed to the Assembly speaker against any move of the party high command to make Pilot the new chief minister.
